Repeater for rolling mills



Feb. 24, 1953 I G. B. TENER 2,629,273

REPEATER FOR ROLLING MILLS Filed June 18, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l 9 78INVENTOR.

4mm 5. rave/e Feb. 24, 1953 G. B. TENER 2,629,273

REPEATER FOR ROLLING MILLS Filed June 18, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 K F 9 fmmza INVENTOR. pew 00A 5. TE/VE Patented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE REPEATER FOR ROLLING MILLSI Application June 18, 1949,Serial No. 99,901

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling metal strip and, inparticular, to repeaters for rolling mills adapted especially toaccommodate thin, wide, non-rigid strip metal for diverting the metalfrom one mill into another disposed out of alignment with respectthereto, and includes provision for permitting unrestricted movement ofthe excess metal which will gather between the mills due to variation inthe draft thereof.

Heretofore, in carryin out a repeating operation on thin, wide, stripmetal it has been the practice, due to the lack of rigidity of the stripand to prevent buckling thereof through the use of known repeatingmeans, manually to grip the end of the strip as it issues from the firstmill and to carry it over and insert it into the second mill, permittingthe excess metal to grow on a gathering or looping table adjacent to themills. As is readily apparent such a procedure is highly unsatisfactoryinasmuch as it involves considerable time and effort as well as a dangerto the workmen.

It is one of the objects of this invention, therefore, to provideapparatus which i automatic in operation for expeditiously andeconomically diverting strip from one rolling mill into another, whichis out of alignment relative thereto, for carrying out a continuousrolling operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus adapted toaccommodate thin, wide, non-rigid metal strip for carrying out arepeating operation between two mills which are out of alignmentrelative to one another.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus which isadapted continuously to grip and support thin, wide, non-rigid metalstrip for carrying out a repeating operation between two misalignedmills and which, on completion of the threading of the strip through thesecond mill, automatically releases and permits gathering of the metalwhich will accumulate between the two mills due to the difference indraft thereof.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus forsupporting thin, wide,

non-rigid metal strip during the interval required for directing thestrip from one mill into and through another which is out of alignmenttherewith, to release the strip on completion of the threading operationand to return to its strip-gripping. position as soon as a particularstrip has passed through and beyond the second mill.

The apparatus provided in accordance with this invention comprises astrip handling device for use in carrying out a repeating operationbetween two mills and includes a guide for turning the strip into avertical plane as it issues from the first mill, a plurality of pairs ofpinch rolls, with normally closed guides therebetween, for positivelygripping and urging the strip forward,

and a second guide for returning the strip to a horizontal plane priorto entry thereof into a second mill. The normally closed strip guidesare adapted to be opened for permitting the gathering, upon a suitabletable, of the excess metal strip which will accumulate between the millsdue to a difference in the drafts thereof. The opening of the guidetakes place automatically when the leading end of the strip issues fromthe second mill and interrupts a control mechanism, preferably aphotocell-solenoid operated valve arrangement, which cause a pluralityof fluid actuated motors attached to the guides to operate and draw themovable portion thereof, together with the pinch rolls attached thereto,away from the stationary portion of the guide and the strip passingtherebetween. So long as the beam of the light of the photocellarrangement is interrupted, the movable portion of the guides cannotreturn to their closed position, but as soon as the trailing end of thestrip passes out of the second mill and beyond the beam of light, thecontrol mechanism is again actuated and the guides returned to theirclosed positions, in readiness for accommodating the next strip which isintroduced into the mills.

The aforementioned objects, as well as the various other novel featuresand advantages of this invention, will become apparent from thefollowing description and accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of repeating apparatusshown in combination with two rolling mills;

Figure 2 is in elevation view taken at 11-11 of Figure 1, and t Figure 3is a schematic diagram of the system of controls of the repeatingapparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the repeating apparatus shown incombination with two rolling mills l I and i2, having twist guides Ilaand |2a respectively associated therewith, in-

cludes a base l3 upon which are firmly affixed stationary guide elementsI4, i5 and I 6. At

a bracket 10.

3 able electrical motors 22 supported on brackets 23 secured to the base13.

At the entry end of the repeater assembly on a bracket 24, which ispivoted to the base I3 by means of a bolt 25, is rotatably mounted apinch roll 26 which is constantly urged into engagement with the roll I!by means of a compression spring 28 retained between the bracket 24 anda spring compression adjusting screw 29 threaded in a lug 3| affixed tothe base I3.

As shown in Figure 1, there are two similar releasable pivotal guideportions adapted to be placed into or out of communication with thestationary movable guide portions ailixed to the base I3. Each movableguide includes a bottom portion 32, having curved vertical side walls 33integral therewith, pivotally mountedon the base I3 by means of bolts34. Pivotally secured to each of the guide bottom portions 32 by meansof a bolt 35 is a bracket 36 rotatably carrying at the free end thereofa pinch roll 3'5 which, by a compression spring 38, is urged intoengagement with the driven pinch rolls. The spring 38 is confinedbetween the bracket 36 and a compression adjusting screw 39 threaded ina lug 4| aflixed to the guide bottom portion 32. Each of the movableguide portions is provided with an element 42 to which is secured at itsouter end a piston rod 43 adapted to be positively actuated in eitherdirection by the double acting cylinder 44 within which is confined thepiston to which the rod 43 is attached. The cylinders 44 are secured tothe base l3 by brackets 45 attached thereto and to the base. able stops41 secured to the base It which are adapted to engage with bumper blocks48, attached to the pivotal guide portions, when the guides are openedto their inactive positions. The two cylinders 44 are connected by pipes59 and 6| through a four-way valve 46 to a source of fluid underpressure.

At the delivery end of the repeater, and to a bracket 49 pivoted by abolt to the base [3, is rotatably secured a pinch roll 52 urged intoengagement with the pinch roll 2| by the piston rod 53 pivotally securedthereto and extending from a fluid motor 54 afiixed to the base 13.

Two additional pipes 59 and 6| supply the Working fluidpressure from thesource of supply to the motor 54.

Adjacent to the mill l2, at the delivery side thereof, and in line withthe path of travel of the strip, there is a photocell 8| together with alight source 18 which, as shown more specifically in Figure 3, areadapted to influence an electrical circuit for operating, at desiredintervals, the four-way valve 46 of the fluid system.

The, four-way valve 46 is connected through pipes 59 and BI to thebranches relating to the various fluid motors of the system. Connectedto the valve is a link 62 which, in turn, is connected to the end of thearmature 63 positioned within a double acting solenoid 64 having coils65 and 66 connected together at a common point to one terminal of abattery 61. The opposite terminal of the battery 61 is connected to apivotal switching arm 68 having contacts 69 and II at the outer endthereof and pivoted on The contacts 69 and TI are adapted to close thecircuit to either of the coils 65 and 66 by engaging with the terminals72 or 13 thereof respectively. The pivotal switching is energized, asshown in Figure 3, the switching There are two adjustarm will be drawntoward the right thereby ener gizing coil 66 which draws armature 63 tothe right, opening the valve 46 to admit fluid under pressure to thepipe 59 and thence to the fluid motors 44 and 54 whereby the movableguide portions and the pinch rolls at the delivery side of the guidesare closed. On de-energization of coil 15, the switching arm 68 is drawninto its opposite position by a spring 73 which is attached at one endto the switching arm and at the opposite end to a bracket 11'.

The circuit for energizing and ole-energizing solenoid 15 comprises alight source '13 to which a battery 79 is connected, a photocell 3|, anamplifier tube 82, a resistance 83 and a plurality of batteries 84, 85,86 and 3?. As shown in the schematic drawing, Figure 3, the resistance83 and the battery 81 form a circuit with the photocell SI. The filament88 of the tube 32 is heated by means of a battery 85 and the grid 89thereof is connected to the photo-sensitive plate of the photocell 6|.One end of the solenoid 15 is connected to the plate 9! of the tube 82and the other side to one of the terminals of the battery 84. Theremaining battery terminal is con-= nected to the filament 88 of thetube 82. So long as the beam of light from the source 18 passesuninterruptedly to the photo-sensitive plate of the photocell 8!, ionswill be emitted therefrom and cause current to flow from the battery 3'!through the resistance The resulting voltage drop in the resistance 89overcomes the potential of the battery 36 so that the grid 82 of thetube 82 becomes positive, permitting current to flow from the battery 84through the solenoid T5. The resulting magnetic flux which is set up byenergized coil causes the armature I4 to be drawn into the solenoid thusclosing contacts H and 13 whereby solenoid 66 is energized. Immediately,movement of the armature 63 into the solenoid 64 is effected causing thevalve 43 to be rotated to admit fluid from the source of supply to thevarious fluid motors for closing the movable guide portions and thepinch rolls 22. The guides and the pinch rolls will remain closed solong as the beam of light passing from the source .78 to photocell 81remains uninterrupted. However, as soon as the leading end of the stripof material has passed from the mill [2 and into the beam of light, thetube SI becomes inactive and the flow of current from the battery 81through the resistance 83 ceases immediately. The loss of the voltagedrop across the resistance 83 permits the battery 86 to impress anegative charge on the grid 89 in the amplifying tube 82. By reason ofthe negatively charged grid, the flow of current from the battery 84through the solenoid 15 is interrupted, thus de-energizing the coil,permitting the armature 4 to be withdrawn from the solenoid by theaction of thespring 16. The switching arm {58 thereby is drawn to theleft thus to close contacts 69 and i2 and to energize the solenoid $5.The armature 63 is moved to the left, turning the valve 46 to cause thepipe 59 to be opened to the exhaust and the pipe 6| to receive fluidunder pressure so that the fluid passes to the fluid motors 44 and 15 toopen the movable guide portions and the pinch rolls 22. Since themovable guide portions remain in their most open positions duringpassage of the strip through the mill l2, excess metal which mayaccumulate between the mills by reason of the diiferences in draftthereof is permitted to gather on a table or the like so as not tointerfere with the continuous operation of the mills. 'As soon 1.Apparatus for repeating in a rolling operation relatively thin widestrip material comprising a twist guide for turning said strip into aplane substantially at right angles to that at which the strip enterssaid guide, a pair of pinch rolls adjacent to the end of said twistguide and having at least one driven roll, a retractible guide adjacentthe delivery side of said pinch rolls, a pair of pinch rolls with atleast one roll thereof driven and the remaining roll secured to saidretractible guide for movement therewith, a second retractible guide, apair of pinch rolls with one roll thereof driven and the remaining rollmounted upon said second retractible guide, means for withdrawing saidretractible guides to their inoperable positions and for separating saidlast-mentioned pairs of pinch rolls, a pair of pinch rolls at thedelivery end of said second retractible guide and having at least onedriven roll, and a second twist guide at the delivery side of saidlast-mentioned pair of pinch rolls for receiving a strip passed theretothrough said repeater for returning said strip to the original planethereof.

2. Apparatus for repeating in a, rolling operation relatively thin widestrip material comprising a base, a pair of twist guides mounted uponsaid base for turning strip material into a plane at substantially rightangles to that in which the strip enters the guides, a plurality ofvertically disposed convex stationary elements secured to said base andtogether forming substantially a continuous semi-circular wall betweensaid twist guides, a pair of driven pinch rolls disposed between theends of said wall and each of said twist guides, a pair of retractibleconcave elements pivotally mounted upon said base which in their activepositions form with said stationary wall a restricted opening forpassage therethroug-h of said strip, driven pinch rolls mounted uponsaid base and adjacent the inner ends of said convex elements formingsaid semi-circular wall, an idle adjustable pinch roll for each of saiddriven pinch rolls adjacent said retractible concave elements forengaging with and positively urging said strip through said restrictedpassage and means for retracting said concave elements into theirinoperative positions thereby to free the strip from confinement betweensaid concave and convex elements.

3. Apparatus for repeating in a rolling operation relatively thin widestrip material comprising a base, a pair of twist guides mounted uponsaid base for turning strip material passing therethrough into a planeat substantially right angles to that at which the strip enters theguides, a pair of pinch rolls having at least one driven roll adjacentto the delivery end of the twist guide through which the strip firstpasses, convex stationary elements secured to said base, a pair ofretractible concave elements pivotally mounted upon said base which intheir nonretracted positions form a restricted guide with said convexelements through which the strip material is passed, a plurality ofpairs of pinch rolls spaced intermittently along the guides for engagingwith and positively urging the strip between the concave and convexelements and retracting means operably engaged with said retractibleconcave elements for withdrawing them away from the convex elements andfreeing the strip from confinement therebetween thus permitting anextended loop to form in the strip.

4. Apparatus for repeating in a rolling operation relatively thin widestrip material comprising a base, a pair of twist guides mounted uponsaid base for turning strip material passing therethrough into a planeat substantially right angles to that at which the strip enters theguides, a pair of pinch rolls having at least one driven roll adjacentto the delivery end of the twist guide through which the strip firstpasses, convex stationary elements secured to said base, a pair ofretractible concave elements pivotally mounted upon said base which intheir non-retracted positions form a restricted guide with said convexelements through which the strip material is passed, a plurality ofpairs of pinch rolls spaced intermittently along the guides for engagingwith and positively urging the strip between the concave and convexelements, retracting means operably engaged with said retractibleconcave elements for withdrawing them away from the convex elements tofree the strip from confinement therebetween, and mean responsive tomovement of said strip for actuating said retracting means.

GRAYDON B. TENER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,069,517 Catterall et a1 Feb. 2,1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 433,420 Great Britain Aug. 14,1935 594,626 Germany Mar. 8, 1934 596,108 Germany Apr. 12, 1934 686,967Germany Jan. 19, 1940 816,044 France July 28, 1937

